I have lost faith in America, and Americans

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Not to send like BK but it isn't over yet. Prop 8 is only up by 4 points with 24% of the vote still to be counted but, yes, it is a steep hill to climb. It's disappointing that the blacks and hispanics who just registered to vote and who are celebrating the end of racial discrimination where the ones who, seemingly, voted overwhelmingly to ban civil rights for gays. WTF? "We hated it when you were discriminating against us but we're fine with discriminating against gays."

I think you'll find that homophobia is pretty prevalent in black and (American) hispanic society.

[mrmitchell]

A gay adoption ban was passed here in Arkansas, and by a not terrible margin of 57 to 43%. Decisive, but not a landslide, and much better than the gay marriage ban vote went four years ago.

In the meantime it's possible that the adoption ban will displace hundreds of foster care children across the state. But like I was telling a friend, winds of culture change, and this one can be overturned by a future generation or, very slightly possibly, a court.

We also passed an initiative that has the legislature meet every year, instead of once every two years, like we have been doing. This one you should feel worse for since government will NEVER get smaller once it's grown.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Solver
Looking at it from this side of the ocean, I continue to be amazed at how conservative the American society remains, overall.

Indeed, they are some kind of 1950's century Bizzaro Europe

[monolith94]

On the upside, Marijuana decriminalization passed in Massachusetts, by very VERY healthy margins!

[Solver]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove




What?

Adoption...

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Solver
Looking at it from this side of the ocean, I continue to be amazed at how conservative the American society remains, overall. While the people were able to elect Obama, the ballot proposal voting is still downright conservative. Adoption by gays banned, gay marriage banned. It's just... weird.

Yeah, I'd like to know how many Obama voters are homophobic enough to have joined with conservatives to have voted for such garbage.

[Solver]

Well, from the numbers I see, Floridans voted 62-38 to ban gay marriage, while Obama won the state by 51-49. So that shows quite a few Obama voters who voted to ban gay marriage, most probably.

I'm not sure how you handle these simultaneous elections on many matters, can a person vote for President but not vote on the ballot measures, or vice versa?

[Ramo]

Quite a large number (~20% of his support), unfortunately.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Solver
Well, from the numbers I see, Floridans voted 62-38 to ban gay marriage, while Obama won the state by 51-49. So that shows quite a few Obama voters who voted to ban gay marriage, most probably.

I'm not sure how you handle these simultaneous elections on many matters, can a person vote for President but not vote on the ballot measures, or vice versa?

Yes. You get one ballot with a number of races and sometimes some ballot initiatives as well. You can vote on any of them.

Probably 99+% of people choose to vote for president, obviously, and often far fewer than that vote on ballot initiatives. But I bet gay marriage bans get a high number of votes for a ballot question, because it's easy to have an opinion about that without any research.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by MrFun


Yeah, I'd like to know how many Obama voters are homophobic enough to have joined with conservatives to have voted for such garbage.

You guys are going to have to start fighting harder for your rights. That's the only way people are going to start treating you like equals.

[Arrian]

Small victories: Question 1 in CT failed, 40/60. It's indirect, but many supporters of Q1 supported it b/c it may have offered a way around the recent supreme court ruling on gay marriage.

Also, Question 2 passed 65/35. How you likin' that one, Ozzy? A baby step, perhaps, but a step nonetheless.

-Arrian

[Darius871]

Originally posted by Solver
Well, from the numbers I see, Floridans voted 62-38 to ban gay marriage, while Obama won the state by 51-49. So that shows quite a few Obama voters who voted to ban gay marriage, most probably.

Considering that even Obama is against gay marriage, I don't see the surprise.

[Jaguar]

**** that. Y'all finally win all the damn elections, and then you refuse to push on the one damn time you're actually unequivocally right about something?

This is why your party sucks.

[onodera]

Why should a black or Hispanic person support gay marriage? Just because he is or was also treated unfairly by the society?
Gays should just accept that calling gay marriages marriages upsets too many people. They should refer to them as civil unions only. Less controversy means more efficiency.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Darius871


Considering that even Obama is against gay marriage, I don't see the surprise.

I think he privately supports equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians but out of pragmatism, he publicly advocates civil unions as a realistic step in right direction.

He also wants to repeal DOMA and "don't ask, don't tell." My anger is not toward Obama, but toward conservative homophobes and some Obama voters who are bigoted homophobes.